BRAC Bank holds campus recruitment programme at IUB

BRAC Bank held a daylong presentation and campus recruitment programme at Independent University, Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The programme was organised by career guidance and placement of IUB at Bashundhara IUB campus.

At the presentation session, Syed Mahbubur Rahman, chief executive officer of BRAC Bank, delivered a presentation on career as a banker.

IUB vice-chancellor M Omar Rahman, Professor M Anwer and consultant Mizanur Rahman attended the presentation session. 

A total of 52 applications were made for the interview as part of the campus recruitment programme.

Among them, 30 students were interviewed by BRAC Bank's head of human resource Tahniyat A Karim, head of

recruitment M Rezaul Amin and head of corporate affairs Zeeshan Kingshuk Haque.

Source : New Age

Students, locals block road in Rajshahi over power outage

Rajshahi University students and local people Wednesday evening blocked the Rajshahi-Dhaka highway for two hours in protest at power supply disruption after an electric transformer exploded, causing serious damage to electric devices.

Local sources said Rajshahi Power Development Board staff were repairing an inactive electric transformer at Binodpur near the university campus at around 6:00pm.

At one stage the transformer exploded, causing a fire in the Binodpur market area and damaging electric devices likes computers, laptops, television, refrigerators and mobiles.

Several hundred students, along with locals, residing at Binodpur rushed to the university main gate and blocked the Rajshahi-Dhaka highway for tow hours.

The students vandalised some shops near the university gate, burned tyres and damaged some electric meters and transformers in the area.

During the agitation, more than three hundred vehicles remained stranded on both sides the blockade spot.

Informed, polices force from the university post, Kazla post and Motihar police station reached the spot and asked the agitators to withdraw the blockade.

But the students continued their agitation, demanding compensation from the authorities.

The students withdrew the programme at around 9:00pm after high officials of the Rajshahi Power Development Borad and the Rajshahi University protorial body assured them of addressing their demand.

Komrash Saha, a student of law and justice at Rajshahi University, told New Age that his computer and mobile phone worth Tk 50,000 were damaged because of the faulty transformer.

Mizanur Rahman Rana, director of Leads Varsity Coaching at Binodpur Bazar, told New Age that his two computers, three mobile phones had been damaged.

Professor Choudury Zakaria, proctor of Rajshhai University, told New Age that they were preparing a list of the victim students and they would sit with the power authorities to receive compensation for the students.   

Zulfiker Matin, electric engineer of Rajshahi Power Development Board, told New Age that they were also making a least of victims with the help of the local councillor.

Source : New Age

Rickshaw-pullers block 2nd Buriganga bridge

Several hundred rickshaw and rickshaw-van pullers put up a barricade on the Buriganga second bridge for three hours Thursday morning in protest at the restriction on the movement of non-motorised vehicles on the bridge and harassment by the police, witnesses said.

They also damaged at least seven vehicles, including CNG-run three-wheelers and buses, demanding withdrawal of the restriction imposed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and set fire to tyres on the road.

The protestors alleged that police regularly charged money from them illegally for allowing them to cross the bridge, and if they were refused the money, they (policemen) brutally tortured the van or rickshaw pullers.

On Thursday, witnesses said chase and counter-chase took place when the police resisted the pullers at Nayabazar from plying their vans and rickshaws on the bridge.

At one stage, several hundred rickshaw-pullers put up a barricade at Kadamtali point and vowed to continue their agitation until their demand was met.

Road communications of Keraniganj, Nawabganj, Dohar and Munshiganj with Dhaka through the bridge remained suspended for three hours since 7:00am.

Towards about 10:00am, some ruling Awami League men attacked the protestors with sticks in presence of the lawmen to foil the agitation but the protest got momentum. 

The protestors, however, withdrew the barricade after Dhaka's additional superintendent of police Sheikh Rafiqul Islam rushed to the spot and assured them of meeting their demand.

Police sources said the Dhaka Metropolitan Police imposed a ban restricting the entrance of Dhaka district's non-motorised vehicles into the DMA, but a section of police on duty at both ends of the bridge collected money from the pullers allowing them to cross the bridge to enter the DMA area.

Source : New Age

HC rejects Jamaat trio’s bail pleas

The Appellate Division on Thursday upheld its chamber judge's order staying a bail the High Court had granted to former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu in a civil case relating to the BDR mutiny at its headquarters in February 2009.

The seven-member Appellate Division bench presided by Justice SK Sinha disposed of the petition filed by the government against the High Court's order granting bail to Pintu on June 7.

It also ordered that Pintu's bail order would be stayed until disposal of the rule the High Court had issued on June 7 over the bail petition.

A special High Court bench rejected summarily the petitions filed by Jamaat-e-Islami amir Motiur Rahaman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and nayeb-e-amir Delwar Hossain Sayedee seeking bail in the case of killing of Rajshahi University Chhatra League activist Faruk Hossain in 2010.

The special bench of Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique rejected the Jamaat's leaders' bail petitions disposing of the spilt orders passed on March 24 by the High Court bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder.

In his order, Justice Moyeenul Islam granted bail to the leaders on the ground that the accused were not named in the first information report of the murder case while Justice Nazrul Islam, in his order, rejected the pleas saying that they should not be granted bail as the investigation was going on.

The then chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque constituted a third High Court bench for disposal of the matter.

Faruk Hossain was killed in a clash between Islami Chhatra Shibir and Bangladesh Chhatra League at the university on February 9, 2010.

The same day Rajshahi University Chhatra League president Mazedul Islam filed a murder case with the Motihar police station in this connection.

Source : New Age

79 rescued Indian fishermen sail home

A group of 79 Indian fishermen rescued on June 17 from Kuakata sea beach sailed for India on Thursday noon, being released from Patuakhali district Jail on Wednesday evening.

The fishermen said they were engaged in deep-sea fishing in the Indian water territory on June 17 in five Indian fishing trawlers – FB Annapurna, FB Ma Lakshmi, FB Sangkhadwip, FB Mamotamoyi, and FB Anandamoyi. All of them are from Kakdwip area of the Indian state of West Bengal.

They said on that day, a strong gust, high waves, and sharp current swept them into the Bangladesh water territory at about 10:00am. Later in the night, the strong current and high rolling waves pushed them to Kuakata beach area.

FB Anandamoyi hit an underwater shoal and sank at that time but its crew and fishermen were rescued by their fellows in the four other trawlers, said fisherman Manindra Das of the sunken trawler.

The fishermen sought refuge from Alipur Matsya Aratdar Samity in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali and were sent to Patuakhali district jail for safe custody.

After completion of the legal and diplomatic procedures, the fishermen left Alipur fishing port adjacent to Kuakata tourist resort on Thursday noon for home.  

The Patuakhali jail super handed over them to Balobir Singh, first secretary to the Indian High Commission to Bangladesh, on Wednesday evening and they were brought to Alipur fishing port to receive their four trawlers rescued on the same fateful night.

Kalapara Coast Guard contingent commander MA Salam said a six-member team of Bangladesh Coast Guard escorted the Indian fishermen up to the end of Bangladesh water territory.

The owner of FB Mamotamoyi, which sunk near the coast, will come to Kuakata within three to four days to salvage the fishing trawler, the authorities said.

Source : New Age

Minor tremor jolts country

A mild earthquake, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale, jolted the capital, Brahmanbaria and some other parts of the country on Thursday evening.

The epicentre of the quake was in Tripura of India, some 133 kms east of Dhaka Met Office.

There have been no reports of causalities in the tremor felt at 6:39pm.

Source : New Age

$23m deal with ADB signed

The government on Thursday signed a US$ 23 million technical assistance loan agreement with ADB to help roll out planned cross border transport connectivity projects and accelerate growth and economic activity across South Asia and beyond.

The External Resource Department secretary, M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, and the ADB country director, Thevakumar Kandiah, signed the loan agreement in presence of the communications minister, Syed Abul Hossain, at the NEC-II in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka.

The facility will cost $27.59 million, out of which the ADB loan is US$ 23 million and the rest US$ 4.59 million will be provided by the government.

The loan to be disbursed from ADB's concessional wing, Asian Development Fund, will have 32-year term, including a grace period of 8 years, at an interest rate of 1.0 per cent per annum during the grace period and 1.5 per cent per annum thereafter. The deal will also be subject to other terms and conditions set forth in the draft loan agreement.

The technical assistance loan for the Sub-regional Transport Project Preparatory Facility will be used to hasten the passage of road and rail projects earmarked as priorities for the development of the sub-region.

After signing the agreement, Syed Abul Hossain said feasibility study would be conducted under the project to create sub-regional connectivity with India, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and China.

He said US$ 3.8 billion would be required for undertaking 8 railway projects while US$ 2.65 billion for 14 road sector projects to boost the regional connectivity.

Asked about the current status of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge project, the minister said the progress the government has made so far about the Padma Bridge has been possible due to support from the donors.

He informed that they would get concurrence from the donors at any time for the construction of the main part of the Bridge.

Thevakumar Kandiah said, 'Projects prepared under the facility will strengthen cross-border links to stimulate intraregional trade and investment besides supporting economic growth and reducing poverty in Bangladesh,'

The transport projects in Bangladesh in the past had faced start up delays because of a long lag time between loan approval and the final project design.

The facility will address this and other obstacles to speed up the implementation by supporting feasibility studies, design preparation, procurement, social and environmental safeguards and capacity building for oversight agencies.

Road projects targeted for assistance will include cross-border routes identified by the ADB-assisted Regional Multimodal Transport Study. The facility will help prepare projects covering around 300 kms of road works in 2012 and up to 1,700 kms by the end of 2013.

The rail component will focus on priority projects along the sub-regional transport routes, including the detailed design for construction of railway track from Duhazari to Cox's Bazar via Ramu and Ramu to Gundum near Myanmar border (128 kms).

Preparation of Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga-Jessore rail link through the Padma Bridge has also been included.

Source : New Age

DU to honour martyred FF student

The Dhaka University authorities have decided to handover the Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and Masters degrees certificates of its former student Shaheed Khawja Nizamuddin Bhui-yan, Bir Uttam, to his family.

The DU vice chancellor, AAMS Arefin Siddique, will hand over the certificates to his family at a function at the VC's office today (Friday) morning.

Mostafa Kamal Uddin Bhuiyan, elder brother of Shaheed Khawja Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan, will receive the certificates on behalf of the family.

Khawja Nizam Uddin obtained BCom degree in 1969 and Masters in Management in 1970. He took part in the Liberation War actively while being a student of MBA at the Dhaka University.

Source : New Age

TCB steps in to tame price hike ahead of Ramadan

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh has undertaken several steps in advance to intervene  effectively in the market to check price hike

of essentials during

the holy month of Ramadan.

A top official of the state trading organisation said selling of pulses, edible oil, sugar, gram and

date would start from July 15, much ahead of the month.

'We've a plan to supply adequate quantity of essentials in two phases —- 15 days ahead of the Ramadan in the first phase and then in the first week of the holy month,' Brigadier General Sarwar Jahan Talukder, Chairman of TCB, told the news agency.

Talukder said some steps have already been taken to import essentials much ahead of the Ramadan and most of the items would reach

country by the first week of July.

For the first time, he said, the corporation decided to sell dates during the month.

The TCB decided to import or locally buy 30,000 tonnes of sugar, 30,000 tonnes of soybean oil, 1,000 tonnes of grams, and 500 tonnes of dates, officials said.

Selling of essentials by the TCB is a process continuing round the year but special emphasis has been given to keep the prices of essentials within the purchasing capacity of the common people, said chairman.

The number of dealers of the corporation has been increased to 2,400 this year from 1,600 last year because of increased demand for essential commodities.

Each dealer would be given two tons of sugar, one ton pulse and one-and-a-half ton cooking oil for selling at fair prices.

The monthly demand for edible oil is one lakh tons but the demand soars to 1.5 lakh tons during the month of Ramadan. The demand for other essentials such as pulses,

onion and sugar also goes up in the month of Ramadan.

When contacted, commerce minister Faruk Khan said the government has taken diverse steps to check price spiral during the holy month of Ramadan.

'We came to know that prices of essentials have soared in the international market setting impact on the local market.  Nonetheless, the government has been trying hard to keep the prices of essentials under control in local market. I hope we would be able to do so,' Khan hoped.

Abul Hossain Mia, Director General of National Consumers Rights Protection Directorate, said, 'We have intensified our drives to monitor market as more offices have recently been opened in three divisions—Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshah.'

President of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry AK Azad said the apex body's market monitoring cell together with the Ministry of Commerce will work for intervention in the market during the month of Ramadan.

Source : New Age

Enforcement of laws needed to ensure disabled persons’ rights

The Bangladesh Pratibandhi Kallayan Somity on Thursday demanded proper implementation of the special provisions which deal with disabled people, and called for ensuring the rights of the handicapped.

The BPKS leaders, at a seminar on 'Rights of women with disabilities' in the National Press Club, also said that the government needs to pay special attention to disabled women while enacting laws and formulating policies.

They pointed out that though the existing laws have special provisions for disabled persons, actually few facilities are available to them.

Admitting the situation, social welfare secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas said that the government needs to give more importance to ensure the rights of the disabled persons, particularly the women.

BPKS programme operations chief Ashrafun Nahar Mishti, in her keynote paper, pointed out that there is no 'specific and authentic' data on disabled persons, which hampers the process of ensuring the rights of such people as well as development of the country.

She also emphasised the need for reserving seats in the Parliament for disabled women to enable them to make their problems public and call for solutions.

Speakers at the seminar also emphasised the need for sincerity of the political parties in helping those who have become disabled due to political violence to lead a normal life.

They also called for introduction of software which can help disabled people to get access to information and modern technology, and for implementing the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

BPKS founder and executive director Abdus Sattar Dulal, Dhaka University teacher Nazmul Ahsan Kallimullah and architect ASM Ismail participated in the seminar, along with others.

Source : New Age